Shower-bath apparatus



(No Model.) T .W. W. WHITGOMB.

SHOWER BATH APPARATUS.

I No. 550,665. Patented Deo.3,189 5.

MVENTUR- WITNESSES- WM 'WZOT M WI LIAM w. IYWHITGOMB, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

sHowsR sAT APPARA us.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 550,665, dated December 3, 1895.

Application filed entry 9, 1895.-

To aill whone it may concern.-

N Be it known that 1, WILLIAM W. .WHIYT: MB, residing in Boston, county of Sufiolk,

are taken by a personstanding under an ap- .--'paratus by which the water is sprayedor 5 and State of Massachusetts, have invented'an Improvement in Shower-Bathv Apparatus, of

which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel apparatus to be used by persons in taking a shower-bath.

*As now commonly practiced shower-baths sprinkled over the person.

i The shower-bath apparatus as commonly constructed and known to me is astationary or fixed apparatus located at -asufficient height above the person to enable thelattcr to stand beneath the same while the water is being showered or sprayed upon-him or her.-

Such a shower-bath.apparatus, while well 'adaptedfo'r the use of the male sex, is not suitable for use by the female sex. on-account .ofthe disagreeable feature of wetting the head. Owing to-the long :time required to dry the hair of, a woman when wetted, the

use of. the shower-bath for women is pragzti-l cally prohibited."

'- My present invention has fur its object provide. a "shower-bath apparatus 7 which is equally well adapted foruse' by women as by men, as it can be used without. wetting thehair or head of the person. I

a In accordance with this invention the ap-' 'paratus consists oi? a suitable "chamber, the ,wallsof which'lnay be made ofjrubber, metal, or other suitable material, the said chamber.

the best results I prefer that'the underside of the chamber should be inclined upward, asf

will be described, so that the minute streams of water issuing from the perforationsorrespectively, of a bath-.tubsu'ch. as now Serial No. 534,344. momma.)

holes in .theunder side of the chamber may project toward the body of the person taking the bath. The apparatus may be made as a closed structure and the substantially central opening of 'suflicient size to enable the apparatus to be placed upon the shoulders or body over the head; orQthe apparatus may be divided after the manner of a divided ring, so

- that the ends may be spread apart and passed about .the'neck of the person. The apparatus maybe provided with one or more waterinlets, as willbedescribed. These and other features of this invention will bepointed outin-the claimat the end of; this specification.-- Y

Figure 1 is a plan view-[partially broken out, of a* showevbzatth apparatus embodyingthisjnvention; Fig. 2, a centrahlongitudinal' sectionvof: the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 on the line 2 "2."; and Fig. #3, a plan view, partially broken out; of a modified form of apparatus to be referred to.: 1. s The shower-bath apparatus herein shown as embodyingthis invention consists of a ring-- like structure forming a water-receiving chamber a, approximating in form an elliptical'ringh'avi11g a central opening a, the walls of the ichamber a in the presentillustration of this inventionjbeing represented" as consisting of a substantiallyflat top 2," the inner wall 3,theouterwall 4, preferably made larger tha'nthe'inner wall 3,'and the lower or bot tom wall 5, connecting the bottom of the outer 'wall 4 with the bottom of the inner wall 3. .The lowerwall; 5 may and preferably will be inclined afterv the-manner shown in Fig. 2,

and is provided with" a: substantially large number of holes,"openin g's, or perforations a i through which-'thewater, admitted into the The chamber a has secured .to it awater-in 'let-pip'ehwhich may'have connected to it branch pipes 6 12*, preferably provided with 'monly found in dwellings.

From the above description it will be imzderstood that. the apparatus is designed to be fitted over the head of the wearer and the same may rest directly on the shoulders; or

. 9 chainber amaybe discharged upon and against the body; of the'wearer below the head.

. agreeable features attending the taking of a I purpose.

shower bath by women with an apparatus such as now commonly employed for this Furthermore, it will be seen that each dwelling-housemay be provided'with its own shower-bath apparatus, and by construc'ting the perforated surface inclined after the manner herein shown the water issuing from the perforations may be directed toward a common center, as it were, thereby avoiding splashing or wetting the room and enabling a shower-bath to be taken in the ordinary bath-tub.

The apparatus shown in Figs. '1 and 2 is represented'as of a closed constructionthat is, one which requires the apparatus to be. passed over the head and onto the shoulders; but,.if desired, the e "-paratus may be made after the manner She .n in Fig. 3, so that the apparatus may be applied to the body around the neck without passing'over the'head.

Referring to Fig. 3, the apparatus is shown 1 as divided or split, as at c, and the ends of the chamber .are closed. by' the walls 0'0 The shower-bathv apparatus herein shown "may be suspended in a fixedposition in a same portable."

" The walls of the chamber a maybe made suitable manner;

but I prefer to leave the of rubber, and for the'best results I prefer to ."0 make them; but I do not-desire to limit my inventionto this particular material, .as the walls may be made of other material," such as metal, wood, or a" combination of metal and rubber-as,- for instance, the lower In this manner it will be seen perforated wall 5 of the chamber 'may be made of wire-cloth or like reticulated material and the remaining walls of rubber.

As represented in Fig. 1, the-water-inletpipe is provided with branch pipes 1) b which may be'integral with the pipe b after the manner shown insaid figure, and which construction is especially adapted for use with a bath-tub having disconnected hot and cold water faucets; -but in some instances/the branch pipes 11'' b may be dispensed with and the water-inlet I alone used, especiallywhen the hot and cold water faucets of the bath-tub are connected .to' a common outlet,

in which case the-said common outlet can be connected by ahose or other suitable pipe with the inlet 12 or when but a single faucet is used. Furthermore, if desired, the, appa- "ratus may have attached to it a'bonnet,hood, strips, or pieces, which canbe fitted on or over the head to suspend the apparatus and also, if desired, ,to more fully protect the hair.

The gist of this invention consists in providing a suitable structure which will enable a person to take a shower-bath without wctting the'hair.

A shower bath apparatus consistingof an elliptical ring-shaped chamber having the substantially flat top wall 2, the inner wall 3, the outer wall 4 larger than the inner'wall 3 and the upwardly inclined bottom wall 5 connecting the walls '3, 4', and providedwith a plurality of perforations or-openings a substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM W. WI-IITC'OMB.

Witnesses:

. JAS. H. CHURCHILL,

' J. MURPHY. 

